By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Preparatory School football team got off to a strong start last week with a 52-12 season-opening win at Delhi, with a number of Panthers turning in solid performances.
But one of the biggest came from senior wideout Josiah Spann, who hauled in a pair of catches for 51 yards and a touchdown that seemed to kick the Panthers’ offense into high gear.
The Panthers will kick off at 7 p.m. tonight at home on Panthers Field.
Panthers coach Chaunce Davison knows what Josiah means to the team after years of playing in the shadow of his older brother, Trey Spann, who has taken his talents west to play at the collegiate level for Centenary in Shreveport.
Davison knows exactly what Josiah’s skill set — both physical and mental — means to his team.
“He means a lot,” Davison said. “He’s just like his brother. He’s a silent leader. He doesn’t yell or pump people up but instead leads by example. He leads with his work ethic. He was out there running a little bit after all the other players had gone into the locker room to get dressed and get ready to go home.
“That wasn’t punishment. That was something he was doing on his own, just trying to get better. Just sharpening up his tools. He’s a big-timer, and we’ve figured out another way he might be able to help us. He’s already helping us with his receiving skills, and he’s a pretty good defensive back and defender, too. But we might give him the chance to showcase another new skill against Block.”
That skill would be rushing the football.
“He’s a silent leader, but it still rubs off on his teammates,” Davison said. “He’s going to make sure that when it’s time for him to make a play, he’s going to make a play. We had a third-and-15 last week at Delhi. We were kind of just going back and forth, but when he made an incredible catch, it just kind of opened up everything. I mean, everything just started rolling — clicking for us. We fed off of it. The team fed off of that one great catch.
“That was a tough catch. But after that, we just started scoring, started rolling. He’s one of those guys who knows that if we call his number, he wants to make that play. That’s why we’re going to try him in the backfield and see what he can do. And if we need him on defense, we’ll put him out there. He can do whatever we need him to do.”
Josiah said as long as he’s getting a chance to contribute offensively, he’s good with it.
“I like playing offense more,” Josiah admitted. “I like catching the ball and getting touches. So, it’ll be exciting to see what I can do running the ball, too. It’s just one more thing for me to focus on and work on.”
That kind of focus is something he shares with his brother Trey.
“Josiah’s like Trey in that he’s quiet,” Davison said. “But he’s probably a little more relaxed as far as personality is concerned, while Trey just stays focused and intense all the time. That’s not saying Josiah doesn’t have focus and intensity, because he definitely does. That comes from their parents, so it’s kind of natural for both of them. It’s part of who they are.
“They both want to keep getting better. You can see whenever they’re out practicing, whether it’s with our football or basketball teams, or with their dad (Joseph ‘Scooby’ Spann), who they get that from, or whether it’s just them together or one of them alone. They’re both determined to get better in all phases of not only sports, but in all phases of life. They’re always sharpening their tools. Always doing something athletic.”
But Josiah, who led Lincoln Prep with 657 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season as a junior, said there are differences between the brothers, who were born about a year apart.
“Yes, I see a lot of differences between us even if we still are a lot alike,” Josiah said. “We’re alike, but we’re also two opposite people even if we’re really the same. It’s hard to describe. It’s just who we are.
“I miss my brother. But I feel like him leaving created opportunities for me to step into the hole he left behind and pick up all those things he did for Lincoln Prep athletics. I get the ball more — on the football field and on the basketball court. I don’t have to pass it as much in basketball with him moving on. I feel like it’s my time to shine, and that’s something I’ve waited for.”
Josiah said his father, Joseph, and mother, Yamalin Spann, have played strong roles in their children’s success.
“It’s a combination of them both,” Josiah said. “It’s the work ethic they both have. It’s the focus they both have. We can’t help but notice and try to be like them.”
Now Josiah is focused on building off the start he and his teammates had last week.
“That was a good start for us — a good way to start the season,” Josiah said. “The defense started off good. But the offense picked things up pretty quick. We just started throwing it and coming down with it.
“We feel good going into our first home game. We know what (junior) Jabari (Levingston) can do at quarterback. But there’s a lot of people on this team that can make plays, like me, (Karmelo Goins) — a lot of people. People were focused on all this talent this team lost heading into this season. But that just makes those of us who are still out here play that much more hungry.”
Davison knows that hunger will be needed against Block, which fell 22-16 at home to Ringgold in its season opener.
“Block has some kids that look very athletic,” Davison said. “I’m just looking for us to focus on sharpening our tools and not doing things that can hurt ourselves. We got off to a good start last week. That kind of win was a great way to start the season.
“I need a second week in a row of seeing this team line up right on defense and make our checks and our calls. Just play football and give effort.”
Like Josiah, Davison feels good heading into Thursday night’s home opener.
“I could see as the preseason moved along we were kind of locking in,” Davison said. “The kids just seemed to start taking it a little more seriously. But last week, we still made a lot of mistakes. We overcame them, but we made them, too, and still came out OK.
“So, we’re still trying to perfect what we’re doing. I tell the kids every day, even if I’m doing it wrong, I’m doing it wrong going 100 miles per hour. Make sure the effort is there. If the effort is there, sometimes that can make up for those mistakes you might make and can help you do the things that you want to do.”
Davison also hopes to have a strong crowd supporting the Panthers for their first home game of the season.
“I hope we have a good crowd,” Davison said. “The community coming out really builds the kids’ spirits. We need Lincoln Parish to come show out for us. It’s a Thursday night game. We have kids that go to neighboring schools who can come out and support us. We’ve got family in this community. Hopefully we’ll see that happen.”
